Free Republic

The U.S. has deployed troops and anti-ship missiles into the northern Philippines as part of almost continuous, joint war drills throughout the country. One goal is to block the Bashi Channel and deny Chinese warships access to the Pacific Ocean if Beijing launches an attack on Taiwan. As a former Philippine military chief told Reuters: You can’t invade Taiwan if you don’t control the northern Philippines.BATANES, Philippines - Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April...

THOUSANDS of people took to the streets of Taiwan to protest against China’s proposed anti-secession law yesterday as the National People’s Congress in Beijing prepared to rubber-stamp the Bill that has prompted fears of a Chinese invasion. The Taiwanese are worried that the anti-secession law, certain to pass through the annual session of parliament this week, will be used by China as a legal basis for invasion. Their fears were underlined by a proposal to increase military spending by 12.6 per cent, the latest double-digit rise in Beijing’s arms budget. Li Zhaoxing, China’s Foreign Minister, said it would allow nobody...